How to become a pilot

Yep, the rumours are true. You need to have pretty good eyesight to become a pilot. The good news is, it doesn’t have to be perfect — as long as your eyes can be corrected to 20/20 with glasses or contacts. So how do you find out if you’re eligible?

Prior to selection into the course, shortlisted students are required to complete a skills assessment test with CAE Melbourne Flight Training. This is a computer-based assessment that covers pilot aptitude, hand-eye coordination, motor skills and spatial awareness. 

Students must also gain their Class 1 medical certificate from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to be able to undertake practical flying lessons.

Before you can jump inside the cockpit, you’ll also need a thorough understanding of what it takes to fly an aircraft. This includes knowledge of the aviation industry, basic flight operations and attaining key analytical skills.

Delivered in accordance with CASA requirements, our Bachelor of Aviation degree, alongside our Graduate Certificate of Aviation (Piloting) (which you’ll study concurrently), will set you on the path to becoming a commercial or professional pilot.  

We also offer the option to combine your aviation degree with a Bachelor of Business. This four year double degree will open doors in the aviation industry outside of becoming a pilot.  

With our Bachelor of Aviation degree, you will begin your flying training to complete the required hours to gain your private pilot licence (PPL) and the 150 hours you need for your commercial pilot licence (CPL). All of our flying training is undertaken at CAE Melbourne Flight Training, Moorabbin Airport, with access to over 45 aircraft as well as state-of-the-art simulators. Moorabbin Airport has over 295,000 aircraft movements each year, making it one of Australia’s busiest airports. What this means for you - train here, be ready to work anywhere.  

Gain your licences

Once you’ve completed your Bachelor of Aviation you’ll have earned all the relevant licences to get you flying.

In fact, the course is designed to take graduates beyond the requirements for the CASA Commercial Pilot Licence to include the Multi-engine Aeroplane Instrument Endorsement licence and practical test and all the theory and exams to obtain a frozen Air Transport Pilot Licence.

Students also have the opportunity to undertake either a Flight instructor rating or a Multi Crew Cooperation Certificate.

This does not mean you’ll be flying with big commercial airlines… yet! See step three.

If you wish to become a commercial pilot and fly aircraft such as the Airbus A380s, Boeing 747s and 777s, you will need to complete 1,500 hours of flight time after you complete your Bachelor of Aviation. It’s a standard set by the airlines to ensure the safety of their millions of customers.

Becoming a commercial pilot for a major airline involves a lot of very important flight hours, which is why we are partnered with Qantas so that our students who are selected into the Qantas Group – Aviation Career Enrichment (Q-ACE) Program work towards their 1,500 hours through QantasLink — the airline’s regional brand. 

To get your flight time up, you may also find opportunities with small charter companies who look for pilots to run scenic routes for tourists and even skydive runs or become Flight Instructor at CAE and teach the next generation of pilots. 

With your 1,500 hours secured, you’ll be ready for your first big commercial gig.